Unit 1 - Step 7 - Reflecting & Peer review = goals & tips

Goals

• Challenge the participant to improve and refine their ideas.
• Provide feedback on how clearly they are expressing those ideas.
• Reflect on how the ideas support the participant's objectives and how their work has influenced your own thinking.

Note: Editing and proofreading are much less important, unless the participant has specifically requested help in those areas.

Tips for Great Feedback

Be honest! Saying something nice just to be polite won't help the person improve.	Don’t say “This prototype seems foolproof!” if this isn’t the case.
Be constructive! Saying something purely negative doesn't help the person figure out what to do about it, so try to offer suggestions.	Instead of saying "Your problem statement seems ridiculously broad," you can say "I think you need to focus on certain aspects of your problem."
Be specific! Explain clearly what you don't understand or how something could be stronger, as well as why you're making certain suggestions.	Don’t say: “Your needs statement is vague” Consider saying: “It seems like parents at your school really value college readiness. Could you think about that to draft a more specific problem statement?”
Ask questions. Asking questions can help the participant reflect on their intentions, and might bring to light where you may have gotten lost.	Ask: “What other resources do you have to see how parents are affected by the problem you identified?”
There's no need to argue with the participant. If you feel you've made your case for your suggested improvements and they are not receptive, move on to another project post.	Ultimately it's up to the participant to be willing to take the feedback and incorporate it in order to improve their work.

Process

1. Read or review the entire work (which could include multiple documents) before commenting.
2. Comment on the biggest issues first. For example, does the work meet the goals of the assignment and is it well organized and clearly presented? Both your and the participant's time are limited so major issues should be addressed before specifics and smaller details.
3. Praise the aspects you see as the strengths of the work. Point out specific features and explain why you think they are great ideas.
4. Respectfully critique the elements you think could be improved and describe the cases where features might not work as intended.
5. Identify any areas that are missing, not thought through, or need to be explained more fully. Also identify any features that may be extraneous or confusing.
6. If the participant has questions about something you said, feel free to engage in a more in-depth discussion. It will likely be helpful in framing your thinking for both of you!